Foods you should try when traveling to Philippines

Planning to visit the Philippines sometime soon? In this article we will take a quick look at some of the delicious foods that you can eat while you tour this beautiful country. Most people don’t appreciate Filipino food as much as they should. This is mainly because Filipino food has received a pretty bad rap on the global culinary scene.

However, with many culinary trend forecasters predicting Filipino cuisine the one to watch, people are now starting to slowly embrace their food. Filipino food has a fusion of Spanish, Malaysian, Chinese, and indigenous cooking styles. The experience of eating food in the Philippines is like nothing else on earth.

Here are some of the most popular Filipino foods to watch out for when you visit. Some of these foodstuffs are only found in the streets and will be specified in the article.

Adobo

This is one of the most popular dishes in the Philippines. It consists of either pork, beef, seafood, chicken or vegetables that have been marinated with vinegar, garlic and soy before being cooked in oil and then simmered in the remaining marinade. The best place to enjoy this delicious meal is on the streets in most if not all local restaurants. You can also buy Adobo in market stalls and food courts throughout the country… It costs about $1-2 which is 40-60 pesos. It is normally served with mountains of white rice.

Balut

This is the perfect starter meal for those of you with hearts of steel. It is a traditional afternoon snack that is very popular in the Philippines. You’ll notice that many of the locals will be buying this food from see street side hawkers. However, you need to be careful about cleanliness to avoid any stomach complications later. Even though it looks like a regular boiled egg, when cracked open, you’ll get an 18-day-old duck embryo. This tiny semi-formed duck is enjoyed by cracking the shell from one end and peeling off the top. You then drink the soup and give the leftovers a good shake of salt before finishing them off. Most people say that this food tastes like chicken. You’ll have to try it for yourself to find out.

Bangus

This fantastic meal is mainly made from the Philippines grilled milkfish. The milkfish is usually fried and then serve with soya and garlic or vinegar. It is very common in the market stalls and food courts and can be bought for about $2 which is about 60-80 pesos.

Multicolored dessert halo-halo

‘Halo-halo’ means ‘mixed together’ in Tagalog dialect. This delicious dish is made up of heaps of sweet stuff mixed together to create a surprisingly sensational taste. The dish is usually layered over a base of condensed milk and shaved ice in a tall glass. Purple yam ice cream toppings are added to the dish, with sprinkles of sugar and fruits. This dish will definitely knock you off your feet!

Pancit

This mouth watering dish is normally served alongside Lumpia. The Filipino noodle dish is mixed with chicken, pork, and vegetables and served for breakfast or taken as an afternoon snack. It goes for around $0.5, which is about 25 pesos

Sisig

This dish is often served on a sizzling hot plate. The pork dish is prepared by boiling a pig’s head, and then it is barbecued or grilled to add a smoky flavor. The meat is then chopped into tiny pieces, and fried with garlic, onion, and spices. Most of the restaurants will serve variations of the dish using tuna, chicken, tofu, or even squid instead of pork. Other ingredients may be added too i.e. mayonnaise or raw egg or mayonnaise. This will depend on the order that you make.